Relays in wireless communication networks

• US 7,907,540 B2
• Filed: 12/18/2007
• Issued: 03/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Guangdong OPPO Mobile Telecommunications Corporation Limited
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Lin, Xintian E., Li, Qinghua
• Primary Examiner(s): Ngo; Ricky
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gidado; Rasheed
• Application Number:
  US11/959,351
• Publication Number:
  US 20100039947A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,183 Days
• Field of Search: 370/252, 370/315, 370/331, 370/338, 455/9, 455/11.1, 455/7, 455/436
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2606 Arrangements for base station coverage control, e.g. by using relays in tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0026 Transmission of channel quality indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2001/0097 Relays
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/542 using measured or perceived quality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/047 using dedicated repeater stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for transmitting packets in wireless communication networks are disclosed. The methods include a relay mobile station measuring channel quality between the relay mobile station and a destination mobile station in response to a request for relay mobile stations from a base station The relay mobile station reports a channel quality indicator to the base station if the channel quality for a link between the base station and the destination mobile station via the relay mobile station is greater than a predetermined channel quality. The base station determines the relay mobile station that provides an optimal route for transmitting the packets from the base station to the destination mobile station.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

transmitting packets in a wireless communication network comprising;

at least one relay mobile station measuring channel quality between the relay mobile station and a destination mobile station in response to a request for at least one relay mobile station from a base station, each relay mobile station operating as a mobile station in the wireless communication network;

the relay mobile station reporting a channel quality indicator to the base station if a channel quality for a link between the base station and the destination mobile station via the relay mobile station is greater than a predetermined channel quality; and

the base station determining the relay mobile station that provides an optimal route for transmitting the packets from the base station to the destination mobile station based on the following equation;

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the base station broadcasting identifiers of the destination mobile stations for which a relay mobile station is required.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising broadcasting a channel quality indicator for a direct link between the base station and each destination mobile station for which a relay mobile station is required.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined channel quality is the channel quality for a direct link between the base station and the destination mobile station.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the destination mobile station or the relay mobile station transmitting an interference indicator to the base station where the relay mobile station shares an uplink slot with an uplink transmission from another mobile station.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the relay mobile station shares an uplink slot with an uplink transmission from another mobile station.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising the base station scheduling transmissions to the destination mobile station via a relay mobile station to minimize interference with uplink transmissions from another mobile station.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the destination mobile station reporting a channel quality indicator to the base station if the channel quality for a link between an uplink mobile station and the destination mobile station is above a predetermined threshold.

9. A relay mobile station for transmitting packets in a wireless communication network including:

measuring channel quality between the relay mobile station and a destination mobile station in response to a request for at least one relay mobile station from a base station, the relay mobile station operating as a mobile station in the wireless communication network, and the base station determining the relay mobile station that provides an optimal route for transmitting the packets from the base station to the destination mobile station based on the following equation;

10. The relay mobile station of claim 9, further comprising the destination mobile station or the relay mobile station transmitting an interference indicator to the base station in response to a request from the base station where the relay mobile station shares an uplink slot with an uplink transmission from another mobile station.

11. An article comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions that, if executed, result in at least the following;

transmitting packets in a wireless communication network between a base station and a destination mobile station;

measuring at least one relay mobile station channel quality between the relay mobile station and the destination mobile station in response to a request for at least one relay mobile station from the base station, each relay mobile station operating as a mobile station in the wireless communication network;

reporting by the relay mobile station a channel quality indicator to the base station if a channel quality for a link between the base station and the destination mobile station via the relay mobile station is greater than a predetermined channel quality; and

determining at the base station the relay mobile station that provides an optimal route for transmitting the packets from the base station to the destination mobile station based on the following equation;

12. The article of claim 11, further comprising broadcasting by the base station identifiers of the destination mobile stations for which a relay mobile station is required.

13. The article of claim 11, further comprising broadcasting a channel quality indicator for a direct link between the base station and each destination mobile station for which a relay mobile station is required.

14. The article of claim 11, further comprising causing the predetermined channel quality to be the channel quality for a direct link between the base station and the destination mobile station.

15. The article of claim 11, further comprising transmitting by the mobile station or the relay mobile station an interference indicator to the base station where the relay mobile station shares an uplink slot with an uplink transmission from another mobile station.

16. The article of claim 11, wherein the relay mobile station that provides an optimal route.

17. The article of claim 16, further comprising scheduling by the base station transmissions to the destination mobile station via a relay mobile station to minimize interference with uplink transmissions from another mobile station.

18. The article of claim 11, further comprising reporting by the mobile station a channel quality indicator to the base station if the channel quality for a link between an uplink mobile station and the destination mobile station is above a predetermined threshold.